23 Jan An Impossibly Normal Life by Matthew Finley
“Me flirting on the bus” from An Impossibly Normal Life, ©Matthew Finley, 2024
AN IMPOSSIBLY NORMAL LIFE
BY MATTHEW FINLEY
In Matthew Finley’s An Impossibly Normal Life, he imagines an alternate, more loving world where queerness is unremarkable, using vintage found photographs, ephemera, and embellished imagery to tell the fictional story of his Uncle Ken and celebrate everyday queer joy, kinship, and possibility.
February 27 – April 18, 2026
COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER
1200 LINCOLN ST, DENVER, CO 80203
Art exhibit viewing times: Tues. – Fri. (11 am – 5 pm); Sat. (noon – 4 pm)
OPENING RECEPTION & SPECIAL PROGRAMMING:
FEBRUARY 27 & 28
Opening Reception
Friday, February 27 between 5:00 – 8:00 pm at CPAC. This event is free and open to the public. Artist Matthew Finley will be in attendance.
In-Person Artist Panel Discussion and Book Signing
Join us on Saturday, February 28, at 1:00 pm for a moderated discussion with artists Matthew Finley and Leonard Suryajaya about what happens when personal history becomes artistic material. Together, they’ll explore vulnerability, performance, queerness, and the evolving definitions of family and belonging that shape their practices. The conversation will also touch on Finley’s exhibition book, An Impossibly Normal Life. Please join us afterward for a book signing with the artist.
To listen to an audio recording of the panel discussion press play below.
AN IMPOSSIBLY NORMAL LIFE
Imagine a world where it doesn’t matter who you love, just that you love.
An Impossibly Normal Life is an artifact from another world, a more loving, inclusive one where who you love is of little societal importance. This fictional story, centered on my imagined uncle’s idealized life, is created from collected vintage snapshots from around the world.
Two years ago, my mother offhandedly mentioned that I had an uncle who may have been gay, but he died not long after I was born. Hearing this revelation for the first time, nearly thirty years after I had struggled to come out to my disapproving family, sent my mind spinning. The thought of a family member so close to me going through some of the same things I did inspired me to create this story.
Instead of returning to the hiding or shame of most pre-1970’s queer stories, a reality of how our world was (and in some cases, still is), I have created an alternate history where fluidity in gender and sexuality is the societal norm. Collecting original, found snapshot photographs from all over the world, I have assembled a collection of images that capture our hero, Uncle Ken, with a sassy hip out in his teens or a loving kiss at his wedding. Normal, everyday moments of him, his friends, and lovers, chosen with care. I have collected ephemera and created letters between him and loved ones as a way to share and fill-out more of his story. Engaging with the photos further, I am adding color and energy through glitter and rhinestones, a nod to the long history of queer nightlife and drag, to enhance the images with the spirit of joy and celebration. A celebration of not only what his world could have been, but what ours still can be.
EXHIBITION PREVIEW
ABOUT ARTIST MATTHEW FINLEY
Matthew Finley (b. 1972) uses his photography to express himself and connect to the world around him. With a variety of photography processes, he explores intimate emotions through gesture and line to communicate his experience.
Growing up queer in an unaccepting environment, Finley felt apart from the world around him. He spent his youth pursuing acting, using other peoples words to try to find his place in the world. Now, as an adult, the studio is a safe space to create where he can be vulnerable and express his true self. Creating and exhibiting his work is a way to forge relationships with viewers and to help those who see themselves reflected in it feel less alone. Finding inspiration in nature, classic art and vintage photographs, he addresses modern issues such as his coming out story, intimate relationships, and the importance of queer representation.
Based in Los Angeles, Finley’s work has shown in solo and group shows in multiple galleries across the U.S. Most recently, his work was on the walls of the esteemed Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles with the likes of Herb Ritts, Herbert List, and other photographers who have inspired him. His works have circled the globe as part of the FOTOFILMIC 17 traveling show and he has pieces in the permanent collections of the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College Chicago, The Museum of Art and History, Lancaster, and the Center for Fine Art Photography.